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Eddie De La Rocha
A Boss Town gang leader of the Councilman (and formerly of the Barking Dogs) Eddie De La Rocha carved out a territory for his gang, and made a name for himself as a musician, hustler, and killer before his death in 2298, which lead to a series of assassinations between the gangs. History Early Life and The Rockers Son of a handsome drifter and a barmaid, the bastard Eddie De La Rocha never seemed destined for much in life. He was born somewhere in western Texas, but it didn't matter much, as his mother soon transported herself and her son to Fort Holly, before the boy could so much as walk. Supposedly named after his mother’s brother (Rocha always had an inking suspicion he was named after his real father) he wasn't the only child with a parent missing in the wasteland, the boys his age found him feminine, girls and boys had yet to collaborate openly, and as such he had some trouble making friends. His mother remarried with little to no chagrin from Eddie, as he was out of the house more often than in, hunting rats and doing other things little boys did when no one was around to scream at them to stop. The day the Rock came to Fort Holly was one of Eddie’s most fond memories, as it swept over the town like the sweeping of seasons, and burrowed itself deep into the people and seemingly into the land itself. The local radios that still functioned tuned in on storm, travelers found a new home, and caravan’s came bristling with radio’s and left with not one to spare and pockets full of bottle caps. Eddie fell in with the Rockers more than most, still just a boy, but eager. He saved up some caps and bought a defunct guitar, saved up some more and bought himself some strings. He self-taught himself the instrument, listening by ear to radio broadcasts and stringing along melodies in his head, he never even bothered to learn the names of the notes themselves. That is, until one of the new Rockers, with a soothing voice, and an aversion to violence, thought the boy a few tricks when she heard his poor playing. She taught him practically all he knew about the practicalities of the acoustic with a gentle hand, albeit chain smoking cigarettes and drinking all the while. When she up and ditched town, Eddie was but fourteen, but he has already grown tired of the locals. He felt all he thought he could learn was already learned, and he had no intention of being a scientist or a farmer, and the musicians in town already commanded all the locale venues with iron fists. Traveling Guitar Hero Deterred by the sheer amount of competition in Fort Holly, Eddie joined a three-man band so that he could play guitar on the road, and the two brothers the rest of the band compromised of (a drummer and singer) accepted him readily, if he would double as their roadie. Rocha, with little to lose, readily accepted, leaving without so much as a goodbye to his dear mother. They toured all across Texas, hitting up every dissolute town, haggling with the hostels, and begging for scraps outside bars, instruments in hand, chasing down the occasional thief that tried to make off with their guitar case full of spare bottle caps. The band painted on a new name on their drum set every month, disappearing from towns as soon as the next caravan arrived, or the gig’s dried up. They went by the names of the La Roche Rockers, the Texan Terrors, The New Patrol, The Caesars, changing their name if they thought they had the slightest chance of offending the next town they were traveling to, often playing with wet paint still dripping down the drum set. While the two brothers often got the biggest cut, Eddie always seemed to get the best girls. His young age didn't deter them, as he was the most handsome member of the band by far, and the other brothers seemed too caught up in their schemes or paycheck to ever pay attention to the ladies in the audience. His nervous nature soon gave way to bold, youthful lust, and he descended into liquor, spending his cash on vices wherever he found them. Along the way, Eddie learned an essential skill for any aspiring wasteland musician, how to fight. Bar owners would more often than not, send thugs to rough up the band if they wanted their money back, or the band’s alcohol consumption outweighed the collective total they got from the gig. While the two brothers were by no means slouches when it came to fists, Eddie found that relying on two men to fight for him against sometimes up to five or six, left a sour taste in his mouth. He joined in on the brawls, more often getting beaten than not, but it gained him the respect he thought he deserved from the two. Boss Town Dog Eventually, they found their way to Boss Town, a hive of scum and villainy. They found no shortage of music to play or skirts to chase, which fit their hedonistic nature as musicians nicely. They donned the names, “The Boss Town Bastards” and stayed for months more than usual, and after years on the road, the band was starting to think of it as a relief. One night, after playing a few nights in the row at the joint, they found themselves under scrutiny. The three girls they had been sharing beds with, unbeknownst to them, where girls working for the bar. When they tried to leave, it was announced that they were in deficit, and the bar owner sent a few of the local goons, The Gentleman Gang after them. The exchange turned to blows within the first minutes, and although they were evenly matched in numbers, one of the Gentlemen carried a Dillinger pistol with him. He drew and shot the brothers while they were busy with the other two Gentlemen, and Eddie, mortified, ran off into the night. He came back to town a day later, no longer scared, and hungry for revenge. He joined up with another crew named The Barking Dogs easily enough, and after the shortest of discussions with the leader, who was itching to finish off the Gang after their truce, he was sent off into the night with a revolver in hand. De La Rocha went to the gang’s headquarters late at night, brimming with anticipation. He entered the bar, walking over to where the leader of the gang and two of his accomplices sat. He waited until they were drunk and off guard, before drawing the pistol and shooting Marquis Jethro and his accomplices each in the head, and running off into the night before they could make the chase. De La Rocha had never killed a man prior, and the event lead to him gaining much respect among the Barking Dogs overnight. He moved through the ranks as he took over businesses The Gentleman had previously owned, playing guitar in them for free on some nights. He had his own, 8 man crew, and owned both The Broken Bottle and a brothel (which he reportedly circumvented frequently). He took on the guise of an almost romantic hero, struggling to be both a lover and a fighter. He grew disgusted of the Dogs and their leadership, and plotted to gain control and break away. Councilman Eddie didn't have many men comparatively, and while the Barking Dogs were growing to be the biggest dog in town, Eddie knew that they had so many small enemies that it wouldn't be too hard to gain some members. He sought leaders of gangs in town, cajoling them with honey or vinegar. He recruited from the gangs that were in decline or broken up, and leaving the Barking Dogs none the wiser. The former Old Boys Club’s leader was one of the first to join, along with (ironically) many members of The Gentleman Gang. He massed his forces, and waited until the last second to form The Councilman. A name the band used to tour under, in this context, it meant that the gang would be comprised of an almost oligarchy esque form. The premise failed to advance, as Rocha was always the clear leader, and no other member could match his men or connections. The breakaway caused some strife within the Barking Dogs, as they didn't want another war so soon, but if they didn't, they’d be seen as weak, and be crushed by the other gangs. The war was short, and while the Councilman lost more than they took, they only had to take a few to have the Dogs get desperate. The peace proposal came in days, and it was resolved within days, with the Councilman and Barking Dogs dividing up Boss Town so that each would get an equal half of the territory they inhabited. Eddie got to work, strong arming every business in the area, and leading Councilman into different business arrangements, even revitalizing the tourist industry abandoned by the gentleman gang after the death of their leader. He than investing in the drug market, he opted to tax the Barking Dogs sales in the area, knowing that he didn't have the funds (yet) to finance a drug lag. Eddie soon let the other members of the gang take over his responsibilities, and after the hatred had died in his heart, he found he had no penchant for violence, and was always more interested in tuning his guitar than profit ratios and the wacky politics of Boss Town. For years he stood in the background of the organization, almost as a figurehead, only involving himself when it came to war. The Assassination of Eddie De La Rocha It was late winter, in 2298. Rocha was entertaining a crowd in the Broken Bottle on the small stage. After he had been done playing a diverse grouping of songs ranging from Mariachi to rockabilly, he left the stage. While making his way towards the exit, he reportedly was staring at the two girls in the corner, and failed to take heed the warning shouted when a man and his accomplice ambushed him with knives, one man doing the majority of the stabbing, and Rocha was stabbed a reported seven times before hitting the floor, and the two men escaped. His killers' identities unknown, the Councilman weren't heavily affected by his death. He had taken a background position within the organization, but still maintained the title of the head-honcho among the common folk. His death was described as belonging to various parties. Some declared the barking dogs has sought revenge from the war all those years ago. Others declared that those from within his own organization, hungry for power, killed De La Rocha. Some insisted that an out of town drifter had done the deed, while others declared that a man, in a fit of jealousy after seeing him stare at his woman, killed him. The men were never officially brought to justice, so it’s unknown who did the deed. Personality and Appearance Eddie De La Rocha was a charming individual, often speaking as he played a slow melody on his guitar, picking strings in-between words. He was very bold and not afraid to speak his mind, if a bit docile when it came to action in his later years, and admittedly aloof. He often wore suits, and rarely carried a weapon on him. His greasy hair was often slicked back, and due to his Latino background, he was of a very olive skin tone.